i wish this filled me with outrage, but it's more of a gloomy "yes, i guess that would happen" feeling. i'm so depressed about how depressed i've become about politics and policy. i care about all the same things, but it gets harder and harder to convince myself that it's worth it.

_________________"rise from the ashes of douchebaggery like a fancy vegan phoenix" - amandabear"I'm pretty sure the moral of this story is: fork pants." - cq

For the record, I am not anti-drilling. I try to be a realist. I am also in favor of expanding nuclear power.

Personally, I do not think we should rip up the Arctic in order to sell oil to China and Japan. That is about corporate profit. Now, I don't know where this oil would ultimately go, but thats where tons of Alaskan oil has gone in the past.

Also, the real problems are not even necessarily the actual drilling site. Exxon aside, the technology is pretty impressive these days and one platform can cover a lot of area. But the infrastructure and pipelines are the really destructive part.

Ok. Out of this thread. Between this and the education thread, my head will explode.

_________________"This is the creepiest post ever if you don't know who Molly is." -Fee"a vegan death match sounds like something where we all end up hugging." -LisaPunk

“It certainly is an interesting time for the determination, given Shell’s request was originally made last week,” said David Holt, president of the Consumer Energy Alliance. “You can assume the Department of Interior did need some time to review the application but it’s understandable why an announcement on the day of Romney’s acceptance of the Republican nomination would be viewed with some suspicion. Regardless, this development is welcome news for the U.S. economy and consumer and is good news for our economy and energy security.”

Will Race, spokesman for the environmental group Oceana, said that “Salazar’s announcement couldn’t have come on a better day” — at least politically.“The night Mitt Romney speaks, the Obama administration can say they are doing everything in their power to produce domestic oil and that production has never been higher,” Race said. “The Obama administration is clearly trying to boast its leadership in oil production.